Volatile substances, such as perfumes and deodorizers, are commonly employed as room air fresheners. A variety of packages have been used to contain volatile liquids and continuously dispense them as vapors into the atmosphere. Among these are: old-style products such as those utilizing a glass bottle and a wick; the more recent packet-type products which enclose a breakable impermeable capsule or bag of volatile material within a permeable envelope; and the formed plastic-box type products having a permeable film surface and a peelable cover laminated thereto the removal of which initiates dispensing of vapors.
An example of the packet-type products is disclosed in PCT Publication No. 82/02700. An example of the plastic-box type products is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,001. The instant invention is an improvement of products of the latter type.
Each of the three sorts of devices described above have certain disadvantages. For example, the bottle/wick products are bulky, expensive, and difficult to place in certain locations. The packet-type products do not provide a burst of fragrance (or other air-treating vapor) upon breaking of the inner capsule or bag, because the volatile composition must, after such breaking, migrate through the permeable film before any vapors are dispensed. Such a burst of fragrance is desirable in that it can overcome a malodor which may have prompted use of the product.
Both the packet-type products and the plastic-box type products may be susceptible to tampering by young children. Unless the contained volatile liquid is held within a mat or other absorbent material, there is some possibility of ingestion by young children. And, the use of an absorbent material to reduce ingestion concern eliminates the possibility of using the liquid as a visual use-up signal. An additional problem is the possibility of damaging finished surfaces if the permeable surface, through which the volatile composition passes, comes in contact with such surfaces.
There is a need for an improved continuous air-treatment device overcoming the aforementioned problems.